F I V E T O O L Y OUTH B ASEBALL G U I D E L I N E S & R EGULATIONS www.FiveToolYouth.org The Internet version of these rules has priority at all times. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. The Primary Goal ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 II. Membership ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3 III. Player Requirements ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 IV. Team Requirements ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 V. Player & Team Classification Guidelines .................................................................................................................... 7 VI. State Qualifying and State Championship Events ............................................................................................ 10 VII. Regional & National Championship Events ........................................................................................................ 11 VIII. Pool Play and Tie Breaker Regulations ................................................................................................................ 11 IX. Rules of The Game ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 A. The Playing Field ........................................................................................................................................................... 13 B. Uniforms and Equipment........................................................................................................................................... 14 C. Game Rules ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15 D. Pitching Rules and Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 19 E. 8U Player Pitch Guidelines and Regulations ...................................................................................................... 21 F. 6U, 7U, & 8U Coach Pitch Rules and Regulations ............................................................................................. 22 G. 6U, 7U, & 8U Machine Pitch Rules and Regulations ........................................................................................ 25 Five Tool Baseball Guidelines and Regulations H. 4U, 5U, & 6U T-Ball Rules & Regulations ............................................................................................................. 26 I. 9U Modified Stealing Rules and Regulations [Optional] ............................................................................... 29 J. Metro League Rules and Regulations.................................................................................................................... 30 K. Metro League All Star Rules and Regulations ................................................................................................... 31 X. Officials ................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 XI. Guidelines for Participants ........................................................................................................................................ 32 XII. Guidelines for Protest.................................................................................................................................................. 32 XIII. Guidelines for Ejections .............................................................................................................................................. 32 XIV. Guidelines for Suspension and Dismissal ........................................................................................................... 33 August 5, 2021 Page 2 Five Tool Baseball Guidelines and Regulations I. THE PRIMARY GOAL A. The primary goal of Five Tool Youth Baseball is to organize and promote youth baseball at its best: to provide equal competition on an equal playing field. Five Tool Youth Baseball is focused on player development and the promotion of player health. II. MEMBERSHIP A. A team must pay yearly membership dues in order to participate in Five Tool Youth Baseball. Team insurance may be included in the membership dues. The insurance covers the team in all events. Membership for Five Tool Youth Baseball is August 1st – July 31st with insurance included from either of the following date ranges: August 1st – July 31st January 1st – December 31st B. Five Tool Youth Baseball sanctioned tournaments and leagues can qualify teams for State Championship, Regional Championship, and National Championship play. C. Five Tool Youth Baseball offers the following classes, which reflect levels of skill, and Five Tool Youth Baseball determines the class for each team: Division 1 Superior level of select play Division 2 Advanced level of select play Division 3 Entry level of play Metro Recreational level of play; league teams III. PLAYER REQUIREMENTS A. The season runs from August 1st – July 31st. In age divisions 14 and below, the player’s age on April 30th determines the player’s eligible age division for the current season that includes April 30th. Players can play up an age division but can never play down. B. Divisions10u and above have a grade exception rule based on one age up. For example, a 16-year old freshman can play in the 15U - Freshman age division—but not a 17-year old. Example: Age is always first. 15U is 15U, but if you are a freshman and 16 years old, not 17 years old, you are eligible to play 15U - Freshman. August 5, 2021 Page 3 Five Tool Baseball Guidelines and Regulations 10U – 4th Grade / Eleventh 11U – 5th Grade / Twelfth 12U – 6th Grade / Thirteenth 13U – 7th Grade / Fourteenth 14U – 8th Grade / Fifteenth 15U – HS Freshman/Sixteenth 16U – HS Sophomore/Seventeenth 17U – HS Junior/Eighteenth 18U – HS Senior/Nineteenth C. A player is eligible to compete in Five Tool Youth Baseball as long as the player follows the “Five Tool Youth Baseball Guidelines and Regulations.” The player’s full name must be listed as it appears on his or her government-issued birth certificate on the roster waiver and online roster. No nicknames, shortened names, or initials are allowed. D. The player be listed on www.FiveToolYouth.org and once a parent has approved the roster move, the player will have a check mark next to their name in the PA column. A Parent or Coach may upload a copy of the player’s government issued birth certificate or passport. Once the document has been reviewed and accepted by the Five Tool Youth staff, the player will have a check mark next to their name in the BC column. The player cannot be protested for age in any Five Tool Youth Baseball event once the proof of age has been approved by Five Tool Youth. E. A player who is in violation of the “Five Tool Youth Baseball Guidelines and Regulations” is considered an illegal player. F. If a player is found to be an illegal player and is discovered during a game or event, or after the event, the offending team can be ejected from the event and placed last in the standings with the team forfeiting all awards from the event. Other penalties can occur. G. In age divisions 14 and under, all players that do not have an approved government issued Birth Certificate or Passport listed on www.FiveToolYouth.org and are participating in Five Tool Youth Baseball events are required to provide photocopies of their original government-issued birth certificate or other government-issued identification that specifies birth date (such as passport) to the manager or team representative. Teams must ensure one of the following for every player participating in an event: The player has a check mark in the BC column on the roster page of the Five Tool Youth Baseball website, or The team manager or representative possesses a photocopy of an original government-issued birth certificate or other government-issued identification that specifies birth date (such as passport). These documents must be with the team at the field for every participating player that does not have a check mark in the BC column. August 5, 2021 Page 4 Five Tool Baseball Guidelines and Regulations Coaches must be able to present a government issued birth certificate or other government issued identification that specifies birth date upon request. Failure to present the document upon request will result in the immediate removal of the player from the game until the document can be provided. If the team is batting 9 with substitutes or 10 with an EH and substitutes, the team may replace the player with an eligible substitute with no penalty. Once the document is provided, if the player was a starter, he may re-enter the game as per substitution rules. If the player is listed as an eligible substitute and has not yet entered the game, he will return as an eligible substitute. If the player was listed as a substitute and has already entered the